‘To Those Who Would Call Me a Thug or Worse …’

I show passion on the football field—but that’s only a small part of who I am. If you want to judge me, I can handle it.

Near midnight I still had about 70 unread text messages from friends and family, most of which read, “Best interview ever!” Many of my Twitter mentions were less supportive. My body ached. I was thrilled and proud and upset, all at once.

Here’s what happened …

I spent most of the game on an island: I was targeted only twice during the entire NFC Championship. The first produced a BS holding call against me; the second ended the game. Michael Crabtree stutter-stepped out of his break on first down and sprinted toward the end zone. I was in good position for a pick until he pushed me in the back. My interception became a tip and an interception for Malcolm Smith in the end zone.

Game over. The Seahawks are in the Super Bowl.

I ran over to Crabtree to shake his hand but he ignored me. I patted him, stuck out my hand and said, “Good game, good game.” That’s when he shoved my face, and that’s when I went off.

I threw a choking sign at 49ers quarterback Colin Kaepernick. Why? Because he decided he was going to try the guy he was avoiding all game, because, I don’t know, he’s probably not paying attention for the game-winning play. C’mon, you’re better than that.

“It was loud, it was in the moment, and it was just a small part of the person I am.”

Erin Andrews interviewed me after the game and I yelled what was obvious: If you put a subpar player across from a great one, most of the time you’re going to get one result. As far as Crabtree being a top-20 NFL receiver, you’d have a hard time making that argument to me. There are a lot of receivers playing good ball out there, and Josh Gordon needed 14 games to produce almost double what Crabtree can do in a full season. And Gordon had Brandon Weeden, Brian Hoyer and Jason Campbell playing quarterback.

But that’s not why I don’t like the man. It goes back to something he said to me this offseason in Arizona, but you’d have to ask him about that. A lot of what I said to Andrews was adrenaline talking, and some of that was Crabtree. I just don’t like him.

It was loud, it was in the moment, and it was just a small part of the person I am. I don’t want to be a villain, because I’m not a villainous person. When I say I’m the best cornerback in football, it’s with a caveat: There isn’t a great defensive backfield in the NFL that doesn’t have a great front seven. Everything begins with pressure up front, and that’s what we get from our pass rushers every Sunday. To those who would call me a thug or worse because I show passion on a football field—don’t judge a person’s character by what they do between the lines. Judge a man by what he does off the field, what he does for his community, what he does for his family.

But people find it easy to take shots on Twitter, and to use racial slurs and bullying language far worse than what you’ll see from me. It’s sad and somewhat unbelievable to me that the world is still this way, but it is. I can handle it.

More From The MMQB

What did Peter King think about Richard Sherman’s divisive postgame interview? Find out in this week’s Monday Morning Quarterback. FULL STORY

Greg A. Bedard says gutsy coaching and quick thinking were the key on the 4th-and-7 touchdown that put Seattle ahead for good. FULL STORY

Robert Klemko meets the no-names (but not for long) who shut down Tom Brady and sent the Broncos to the Super Bowl. FULL STORY

One thing I can’t accept is what I read after the game about Seahawks fans throwing food at 49ers linebacker Navorro Bowman as he was being carted off the field with his knee injury. If it’s true, it’s beyond terrible. That’s as low as it gets. I’m sure whoever did this is in a small minority of fans, because I don’t think that kind of action is an accurate representation of the character of the 12th man. Navorro Bowman is a great player who plays the game the right way. When he went down, I dropped to a knee and prayed for him. He deserves better than having food thrown at him as he’s carted off a field. All players deserve better than that.

So here we are, in the Super Bowl. New York-bound. There will be a lot of talking, but at this point, after 18 games, there’s nothing left to say. We have the right mindset, and nothing can change that. We’ve treated every week like a championship opportunity and we’ll obviously continue to think that way. We deserve to be here. We didn’t sneak into the Super Bowl; we earned our way. Now every goal we set forth at the beginning of the season is in front of us.

The Broncos stand in our way, and it’s a large obstacle. They’ve got the smartest quarterback in football and receivers who are large (mostly), explosive with the football and run great routes. Wes Welker is quick and elusive, Eric Decker is a great receiver with hands and speed, and Demaryius Thomas is as strong as they come. And Peyton knows how to get each of them in spots.

It’s the No. 1 offense vs. the No. 1 defense. It’s a match made in heaven, and we couldn’t be more excited. If you’re any kind of competitor and you have any kind of dog about you, you want to play against the best. Finally, we get the opportunity.

Right on Mr.Sherman. im also competitive and edgy too. Its only to keep my confidnce up. But as far as my perspnal life i live with the values my family raised me with. I explain my love for you to my friends. Some people are too serious or sensitive, or what i hate to say racist. Hatera make me laugh

Its so funny that people get so worked up over one athlete essentially telling another one "You suck", when the same thing has been yelled by millions of guys playing against each other in trash talk as long as there have been sports.

The University of Texas at Austin Staff and Students speak about Richard Sherman and his recent media attention in this video: http://youtu.be/c6vxVeQkIic . Several argument angles were taken to open the floor of discussion.

Adrenalin? Stop it. You act like you do because you're still too new to the NFL to know when to keep your mouth under control. This isn't complicated. D. Sanders used to be brash and brilliant as well as M. Irvin but NEVER acted like you. They are now mature and very comfortable with stardom. IF your career lasts long enough maybe you'll get that mouth and "adrenalin" under control. Until then, you need someone that's paid by you, to stand by your side to tell you when to SHUT the F UP!! No Excuses, wear it.

I wish that was the worst that I have ever blown up . Ya can't judge a guy on an "incident".Sherman plays with passion and heart in a damn competitive dangerous sport where adrenaline plays an important part .His action is a natural part of game;really a part fans like.He is a team player,he is bright, a hard worker,and gives100%He's talented,a great guy, good man;ya got to love him. Congrats to Lovely talented announcer Erin Andrews,handled the interview beautifully; had guts to approach and ask about incident; then she shut up, and bravely "let Sherman talk".Great job Erin ! They respect each other. Great fan entertainment. A+

Good job, Mr. Sherman. It takes a big man to admit he was wrong and to do something about it. I might be misreading your intent on point #10, but it seemed to me that at the end of a very good column in which you took responsibility for your actions, you were attempting to downplay what happened? Your interview with Andrews wasn't entertainment, imho, nor was making the choke sign to the opposing QB. Also, regardless of whether you have dreads, and are black the behavior wasn't very sportsmanlike. With respect, you had passion, but the negative kind, sir. Deal with your Crabtree issue man to man, not on national TV or in a national sports column., please He doesn't have the ability to write a column for MMQB, and as a viewer and avid fan, I'd prefer you stick to your on-field performance. Which, on that play, was superb!

This never would have happened in baseball. If it had, Sherman (or someone on his team) would've been hit with a 95mph fastball. And quite probably, the story would end there; instead of this whole circus which has ensued.

Living in the Seattle are and reading about the "violent" interview by Richard Sherman I wanted to find out more about this incidence and did some research (can't believe much the press throws at you).

While doing the research I came across the YouTube video "Richard Sherman, student of the game" and ended up watching the whole thing. I was surprised and amazed. This is a young man who takes his job seriously and apparently works on improving his skills on a regular basis. He comes across intelligent, thoughtful and caring. Watching his video made me decide to watch the Super Bowl just so I can watch him apply what he talked about in the video. Who knows, he may have made a football fan out of an 67-year old woman who came to the US over 30 years ago (hence, the lack of football knowledge). The one thing about the video is that he is hard to understand because he talks so fast.

Anyway, after watching his video, I came across the RealRobReport, a video taping by Mike Rob in which he interviews his team mates in the locker room, on the plane, and other places. I watched several of those and came away with a real appreciation and affection for the Seahawks team. Most of these young men come across intelligent and thoughtful and most of them are funny. What a great bunch of guys. I'd love to just sit in that lounge and watch them go about their business and interact with each other.

To come back to the interview: yes, he was loud and somewhat obnoxious, but one has to remember he just came off the field winning a real important game. The adrenaline and the hormones are on a high level and some people react like he did under those circumstances. I can see myself do what he did. Like I said above, you can't trust the press, so they cut the interview in such a way that it would get people all excited. That brings them money. In my opinion, the press used him to make money, simple as that. It's up to us, the viewers, to find out the real truth behind what we read and see and then decide what the truth is. These young guys did a great job on that field that day and they have a right to their feelings.

Richard and Mike have made a Seahawks fan out of me and I can't believe I'm writing this here .

First, @Kenny2Thorough (just below) quite accurately characterized the "shortened" interview Erin Andrews conducted with Richard Sherman right after his confrontation with Michael Crabtree. He had just previously gone up to Crabtree and offered his hand, and said, <i>"Hell of a game, hell of a game!"</i> You can clearly hear him say it on the audio, and can see he was extending his hand to Crabtree. Look again at the still photo posted above.

That photo (and the video) also show that Crabtree's utterly obnoxious and immediate response was to poke Sherman in the face, hitting his helmet and facemask. That was what set Sherman off. It would set most people off! Crabtree was the one who acted in an unsportsmanlike manner, and it was he who caused this whole blowup.

But unfortunately someone in the <b>Fox Sports</b> booth misinterpreted the exchange between Sherman and Erin Andrews, and told her to cut the interview short, somehow concluding that it was "dangerous" -- their word. She obviously understood what was going on, and was handling it like the pro she is. But that abrupt cut-off gives viewers of the shortened clip the completely false impression that he was "going off" on her.

I think she should now try to get an interview with him to follow up on the original. That would be great television in the run up to the Super Bowl, and it would also help straighten out a public misperception about Richard Sherman.

What I cannot understand is how the NFL can justify fining Sherman for "taunting" when he made the gesture AFTER the game. The new NFL rules regarding "demonstrations" are meant to keep the game on track, NOT to punish players for post-game actions. If game rules can now be used to punish players for post-game actions, the player who should have been dinged for his blatantly bad behavior, it was Crabtree for actually striking Sherman.

The <b>NFL</b> rules specifically define "illegal" striking as:

<i>"Striking opponent on head or neck with forearm, elbow, or
hands whether or not the initial contact is made below the neck area.”</i>

I am just dumbfounded that the National Football League is still going to let this punk, who has no respect for the game, play in the Super Bowl. I've read most of the posting below, and even gone to many of the interviews solicited by the posters. In the vast majority of those interview, I still see a man stuck on himself. He has a screw loose. And, I don't think I'd be too far from the mark by saying that this is one egomaniac out of control! In all of those other interviews, Richard Sherman did nothing but continue with his trash talk, could never stay on point, and could care less what anyone else thought. His interview with Andrews and Fox news after the NFC Championship was nothing but a continuation of his obvious strategy to "trash talk." This behavior is so outside the norm for behavior expected of professional athletes. For all of his Compton upbringing, sterling Stanford education, and his purported NFL accomplishments in just the last two years, Richard Sherman is nothing more than the "trash" that he so vigorously points out, time and time again. In the end, I still come away with the same opinion that Richard Sherman does NOT deserve the honor and privilege of playing in one of the most prestigious games of the year. He's still stuck on this Compton "trash," punk mode. No wonder so many people are still calling him a thug.

Some people say that Sherman only talked about himself and forgot about his teammates in the Erin Andrews interview. But that's not true at all. He clearly 'repped his set' in that interview as well as the interview seconds before.

A lot of people are probably unfamiliar with the etiquette of 'repping your set' but it's a common custom in urban communities such as Compton or Watts. It basically composes of shouting out the name of your affiliation then throwing up a hand sign that symbolizes your allegiance to that group. This custom is taken very seriously in many urban communities. It's seen as almost sacred. In fact, falsely repping a set in which you are not a member could potentially be life threatening depending on how aggressive that particular set is.

In the link below you will see a video of the interview with Fox Deportes in which Sherman was interviewed. It took place just seconds before Erin's interview. In that interview you clearly hear Sherman saying "We worked for this. We deserve it. We in here" then throwing up a hand sign in the shape of the letter (L) while shouting out the letters "L. O. B." (Legion of Boom - which is the nickname of the Seahawk's defense)

At the end of Erin's interview you also hear Sherman shouting "L.O.B" but the video has already cut to another camera so you don't actually see him throwing up his hand sign.

Caveat: I'm a both a Broncos Fan as well as having personal
connections to a sizable contingent of current and former NFL players. From
this standpoint, I can say that...

#1 Richard Sherman is certainly one of,
if not THE best CB in the league right now; that said, there is no one
that the Broncos receivers would rather go against. As they say, to be the best you
have to beat the best. While Sherman has as good of chance as any DB
at shutting down the Broncos' #1 receiver (fill in name, depending upon
who the game plan has him covering), the fact is, he can only shut down one
WR at a time. The 'Hawks greatest challenge will be shutting down ALL
of Manning's weapons.

#2: To all of the critics of
Sherman's post-game rant of last week, I submit that most fans have no
perspective whatsoever on the intensity of playing in the NFL. These
1,800 or so men are not just physically-gifted elite athletes, but elite
athletes who are also endowed with the self-confidence, mindset,
emotional drive that is equally necessary to play and succeed at this
level. The emotion and adrenaline that is a part of playing the game
cannot be simply switched on and off at an instant's notice. As fans,
we clamor for greater and greater access (ie field reporters interviewing players
seconds after the end of a game), yet recoil in horror/criticize the subjects for
their emotional outbursts. You can't have it both ways... If you want
calm, cool and collected, the media should conduct their interviews
only in environments/situations conducive to such. If interviews are
conducted in the heat of battle, we can't be surprised/critical when
comments are emotionally charged.

Forgive me for being biased, as I have been a faithful since before the vaunted "12th" man... I love the MAN-- he plays for my team. I was watching the toob after the game and I must tell you, I immediately cringed when Sherman 'went-off'. I knew right then-and-there the haters would have a field day. I'm sure I was not the only one. I'm trying to wrap my head around the fact of him professing himself the BEST. Cassius Clay did the same thing and most of us eventually accepted it. Having played the game myself at a competitive level myself, I have seen and felt the adrenaline rush. Now that we have the 'miked-up' version of what went down, the MAN was dissed on national TV. I have to admit, I could've done the same thing had I been shoved in the face (an integrity thing) after making the probable game winning play. Amped up? You bet! Rather than punch a nemesis, he acted-out with the 'choking' gesture directed at the man who challenged him-- Kap, or was it for Harbaugh... matters not. Anyone with a competitive bone in his/her body knows what I'm talkin' 'bout.However, I'm guessing he feels like it was some of the best money ($8700+) that he's spent in a while. Anyway, for those of you calling him a 'classless-monkey, or anything close, I don't blame just you, but the entire environment you grew up in. Think about it, what if he played for YOUR team?

P.S. Keep up the hateful chatter as I know it will only fuel my beloved 'HAWKS to a win.

@mjsol Please notice that even in his excited rant, Mr. Sherman didn't cuss, didn't swear, and simply exuberated his passion for the game. Heck! He had just moments before stopped the game winning play of the NFC Championship!

@Trochilus I agree with almost everything you posted. However, Sherman's taunting "choke" gesture to Kaepernick was not after the game. It was after the Sherman tip/Smith interception, at which point the Seahawks took possession of the ball and still had to run out the clock by kneeling on two (or three?) consecutive downs while Harbaugh used all his timeouts. Then the game was over. But the fine-able offense by Sherman (the choke) happened during the game.

Congrats, you just had the most ignorant post on here. Not be able to play in the Super Bowl? And what exactly for? If you're too sensitive to some aggressive competition and a little trash talk might I suggest you switch to tennis? Grow some balls pansy.

@Gawain3 It's the talk like this that he has clearly stated "He Can Take It." Sherman, is an educated and accomplished young man, which you've stated yourself; why would you want to call him a PUNK, and of all things TRASH. I have to go along with Sherman, it's shocking how in todays time, some people still show hate. I'm not Sherman's, mother and you should be happy that I'm not, but you're wrong for the things that you have said because no parent wants their child to be thought of negatively. I know this is my opinion, and I'm going to say, you come across a bit jealous. Furthermore, you want to take him out the game, and take away his jersey; are you serious? Big bad man if given the chance, you wouldn't speak these words to his face. Your small, weak, and you're a coward. You took this too far away from football with the Ugly, Nasty, and belittling names you used. When you call a man trash and a punk you're insulting him as a man. I will pray for you, and your first born son, which may become a punk or trash. We must be careful how we judge others.

@Gawain3 Their are players who to try to hurt other players intentionally in the NFL and everyone knows it because they vote on who's the dirtiest players in the league, coaches use profanity towards officials while mic'up, and in press conferences state they don't like specific players and coaches. Sherman speaks louder than his normal tone once and now he doesn't derserve the privilege to play in the Super Bowl? Yea your seriously backwards like @clink127 stated.

Also Sherman is not stuck up, the deal is he's tired of people like you keep trying to put this "thug" title on him because of where he's from and then you took it even further by saying "trash" as well. Sherman has been trying fight this title is whole life to prove he's not a thug and now on the biggest stage of his career he get's a little to excited and you call him the one word he cant despise, of course he's going defend himself.

Yes I will admit Sherman strategically "trash" talks but thats what makes his game so great. As an athlete your suppose to beat your opponent physically and mentally, Sherman probably mentally beat his opponents before they even take the field, he makes them second guess how good they really are and how good he is. He makes the game better and other players play harder just like Deion Sanders did. No team liked Deion dancing after he made a play or scored but what could the league say "everyone but Deion can celebrate he draws to much attention" and the same thing for Sherman, "everyone can trash talk except him he's strategically to good at it". No present or former player who has been on ESPN since the incident have a problem with Sherman's "trash" talking the've all admitted to doing it themselves.

But while everyone is so worried about what Richard Sherman said to Michael Crabtree did anybody consider maybe Sherman shouldn't even approached Crabtree at all with the sarcastic "good game"? NFL has a 10 minute intermission for players to cool down before media is allowed on the field so incidents like Sherman's are hardly every caught on camera. My opinion Sherman should have did the same instead of approaching Crabtree as soon as the play was over not the game, with a sarcastic statement, while animosity was still in the air between the two! That's the part I have a problem with he went to far with his strategical "trash" talking, he tried to break a man after he was already down after losing. And until Sherman or Crabtree states what really happened in Arizona those independent news clips are just hearsay because I read the complete opposite in some articles.

@Gawain3 So Sherman should be benched for the Super Bowl because of some people's perception of his words and attitude? While players with proven criminal records (for everything from DUIs to domestic abuse and worse) are allowed to play? Seriously backwards, buddy.

Just more excuses for a lack of maturity and professionalism on and off the field. No Ivy League education and story about his overcoming a poor upbringing will ever make up for Sherman's nearly violent interview after the NFC championship. He deserves all of the vitriol he's received this far. Further, if you listen to his own arrogance, he could give two sh---- about how we fans feel in the aftermath of his interview. In my estimation, he continues to be a disgustingly poor excuse for a human being.

And, Patrick, the sign of a superior athlete is the total package. Your rationale simply places Sherman in that subset of categories that doesn't include superior athletes.

@TombyBomby Well, here's your fuel then. This article and your comments are nothing but garbage. By deflecting attention away from his behavior in that interview, Richard Sherman can be the only racist here. I mean "thug" is tantamount to using the "n" word? What a moron! And, my opinion has nothing to do with my environment. Anyone should become suspicious when a black man immediately brings up the race card with a nonsequitor argument. I truly hope the Broncos play that interview over and over again before Super Bowl Sunday so that they are so emboldened. I would love to see another athlete put a cleat down on what America will ultimately dub the worst sportsman of the year. Sherman's acts have nothing to do with race but have everything to do with unsportsmanlike conduct. He should be benched.

@Clink127 Thanks. I'll go back and check the video (if there was any) to see exactly when it occurred. Notably, it was not called on the field.

As far as flashing the "you choked" sign at him, that seems to me to be a stretch to call that "taunting." The new NFL rule amendments on taunting do include "throat slashing," which is in no way the same thing.

Every kid in American understands that a "throat slashing" gesture is a not-so-veiled threat -- "I'm going to get you!"

@Clink127@Gawain3 Yes, no doubt about it. If I were the Commissioner for the National Football League, I would have had Richard Sherman placed on administrative leave with pay the very day of his interview with Erin Andrews. Then, using politics through the organization, I'd have him investigated for violating the standards of conduct for professional football players. Then, would do everything I could to strip him of his jersey and oust him from the league. You see, and everyone has his or her own biases, Richard Sherman has engaged in this constant strategy of trash talking because it's part of his persona and part of what he thinks makes an opponent blink. He's been doing this since high school football. There is such a lengthy array of his trash talking in interviews leading up to games, in the games themselves, along the sidelines before the end of this NFC championship game, and in the face of Crabtree. That hand of Crabtree's that you see in Sherman's face isn't some offensive action. It was Crabtree saying, when is enough enough. So, you can interpret things any way you want when Sherman's mic was hot. Crabtree and Sherman had a history before this game. And, Sherman has been unrelenting in his bullying. If you want enlightenment, read the independent news clips about the fight Sherman was trying to instigate with Crabtree at, of all places, a charity function in Arizona. Make no mistake. Sherman's actions are violative of the standards for all NFL football players. Sherman's actions have been going on for such a long period of time and are so deliberate. He's said as much in previous interviews. This monster doesn't respect professional football. He doesn't respect his own team. This monster doesn't deserve to play in the Super Bowl. Like I said before, if I were the Commissioner, I would be doing everything I could to bench this monster and get him permanently banned from the NFL.

@HarryTurnerI would urge you to consider that you may have completely misunderstood what happened, perhaps because you did not see all the tapes and/or listen to all of the audio, especially to the exchange between Sherman and Crabtree, just prior to the beginning of Sherman's interview with Erin Andrews.

Please . . . go back and review the whole thing. You will see that it puts the incident in an entirely different light. Sherman told him, "Hell of a game, hell of a game,"and attempted to shake his hand. But Crabtree responded like an obnoxious jerk and poked Sherman right in the face. That was what set Sherman off. And I'm sure it would have set you off as well.

@HarryTurner Claiming this interview included anything even close to violence is irresponsible. He was loud, yes. Some say he was obnoxious, fine. But he listened to her and waited for her to finish and point the microphone toward him, then he looked into the camera and yelled a response. Then he stopped and waited for her to ask a follow-up, and again waited for her to point the microphone at him, and yelled another response. There was nothing "nearly violent" about it.

@HarryTurnerSherman hugged Erin Andrews before the post game interview. I don't think her expression was from intimidation. She said she was thinking more about how the media and stuff would react and what her follow up question would be. Erin knew he was talking about Crabtree but she new that most of the audience probably wouldn't.

That's why she asked 'Who's talking about you?".

She knew it was Crabtree but she knew that most of the audience had no idea what Sherman was talking about.Listen to the tone of Erin's voice. She was calm and composed.

In this video you can clearly see Richard hugging Erin before the interview.

@HarryTurner@TombyBombyImmediately? Who's the BABOON now? He was responding to the 'tweets' of thug and 'monkey'. Sorry I got nasty but, you haven't followed the situation as have I. You are probably one of those hypocritical 'publicans.

@Trochilus I believe there was a flag thrown after the choking gesture, and a taunting penalty assessed on the play. I don't think he got hammered with anything. I haven't read all the rules on the possible fines for taunting, but Richard can handle a measly $7800 fine.

@Gawain3: You, sir, are clearly not in the right mind. When you spend that much time obsessing over what basically amounts to someone being an obnoxious loudmouth, you need to find some real purpose so you can stop letting something that is so trivial in the bigger picture consume you. With all the real crimes that have been committed by athletes there are much better issues to try and address that would help society as a whole far more than stopping someone from spewing his opinion, when he doesn't even use a curse word.

@Gawain3@Clink127 I'm an old Irishman, and when my adrenalin is flowing no telling what comes out of my mouth, so I guess I ,like many can relate. He was not offensive to Erin Andrews, he could have pushed the microphone away; he gave the Lady the interview, and let her do her job ... got her good publicity. These NFL guys give it all in a dangerous sport, and you are going to see emotions. Maybe football is not the sport for you ? I like Sherman, and see no reason to let this interview hurt him at all .....it's Excitement for the fans, and great interview Erin! You got there first while he was still HOT ! GREAT entertainment !!! Good luck in super bowl to Sherman, give it your all.Now Erin ; get on the spot fast again, and do the great job of entertaining fans with your great knowledgeable on the spot interviews and reporting !

@Gawain3 All I can say is that you clearly must have a very personal tie to this, because you're calling someone a "monster" for the words they use. These are not kids at school, these are grown professional men playing a game full of trash talking. Richard Sherman is hardly the only person trash talking in the league these days, but he is one of the people known for being good at it. Hell, Crabtree (who you clearly favor, by the way), was talking trash to the fans on the sideline during the game. Harbaugh throws a fit, getting in the refs faces and screaming throughout the game. Where does that fit into your professional code of conduct? Sure, let the league go after every player to exhibits trash talking behavior to bench them. It would make Sundays pretty damn boring. But you seem to only have a problem with Sherman....maybe because he's good at what he does...including getting into his opponents' heads.

(And while we're at it, let's ask his teammates if Richard Sherman respects them and respects the game. I bet you won't like their answers.)

@RashadFrancisco@HarryTurner I would say that you can't have it both ways............there were 103 other superior athletes on the field, all of which were able to conduct themselves in a decent manner after the game.

@Kenny2Thorough@HarryTurner Well i also took advanced placement courses and had a 4.2 GPA didn't graduate college withe honors got lazy LOL! But I know in statistics their are other variables that you also account for. For instance your comparing a 4 year span to 1 year. Yes Gordon improved this year but he played less games this year and doubled his yards by 800 yards whats the likely hood of that happening again, he had four 80+ yard touchdown catches two tied at 95yards. The only player capable of that on the 49ers because of play calling is Vernon Davis.

Browns average 100 more completions per season than 49ers. 49ers average less than 200 pass yards a game. Gordon and Cameron Jordan consist of about 70% of the browns passing game. With these less completions for the 49ers, Crabtree then have to share receptions with players who demanded the ball as well in the past years Randy Moss, Anquan Boldin, Vernon Davis etc.

Crabtree was the most targeted receiver in 2012 and he hardly ever drop balls. Chris Carter raves that Crabtree has the best hands in the NFL. If you notice how similar his numbers last year compared to Anquan Boldin's this year its only so much you can do in a power run west coast offense, especially when your quarterback is completing 56-60% of his passes which is less than 250 completions a season.

I like both players but Sherman took it to far with this he's still trying to get in Crabtree head he just picked the player who had great stats but less known by the fans to try to humiliate Crabtree. He's encouraging fans to believe Crabtree is mediocre but if you look at the game film Sherman was beat on a few plays like Crabtree stated to a reporter after the game.

@HarryTurner I suspected that I may have misinterpreted what you meant but I wasn't sure. Are you saying that Sherman reacted angrily to Crabtree when Crabtree hit Sherman in the face when Sherman tried to shake Crabtree's hand while saying "hell of a game, hell of a game"?

After Crabtree's unprovoked attack against Sherman, he still didn't immediately respond angrily. He appeared to be a bit surprised that Crabtree would respond that way to his gesture of sportsmanship. But it definitely rubbed Sherman the wrong way and made him mad.

Sherman described Crabtree as sorry and mediocre. The chocking gesture to Colin was only after Crabtree hit Sherman in the face during his attempted handshake. Sherman compared it to Reggie Miller's gesture against the NY Knicks.

I don't see any racially or ethnically based hostility in Sherman's comments to Crabtree and his chocking gesture to Colin. Could you elaborate on which of Sherman's statements or actions expressed racial hostility?

**********

Sherman took advanced placement classes in statistics so I suspect that some of his statements about Crabtree were in part based on statistical analysis.

Check out this quote from Sherman:"Josh Gordon needed 14 games to produce almost double what Crabtree can do in a full season." - Richard Sherman

That's actually a statistically accurate statement. Let's take a look at the stats to get an idea of what Sherman's talking about.

First, let's eliminate Crabtree's 2013 since he was hurt most of the year. Also let's eliminate both Gordan's and Crabtree's rookie years. That leave's Crabtree with and average of 906 yards a season. Gordon with 1646 yards a season.

Gordon produced 1.82 times more aggregated yards than Crabtree. So that's roughly twice as much.

Also if Crabtree reached his aggregated 906 yards this season than he would've finished 31st in the league this year.

So considering Sherman's advance education in statistics and the fact that he graduated from high school with a 4.2 GPA while taking honors classes and graduated from Stanford with a 3.9 GPA then I'm guessing it's likely that he used statistics to form part of his opinions on Crabtree.

"The fact that Sherman reacted in a like fashion to those who did call
him a thug and "n" goes to show that Sherman is just as racist as any of
us out there."

Are you implying that you are amongst the racist when you say "any of us"?

In fact Sherman did not respond angrily when people hurled all sorts of racial epithets at him. Sherman's response was to invoke the legacy of Martin Luther King Jr. who's message was that love will triumph over hate.

@HarryTurner Good luck in trying to boycott Nike, Beats by Dre and Gatorade.. Furthermore, there's no such thing as a "nearly violent interview" and to whom was he nearly violent with the microphone and the camera.. Get a life bruh.

Baboon? Honestly, when will there ever be a healthy conversation about Richard Sherman and his nearly violent interview in the aftermath of last week's NFC championship game? His interaction with Crabtree on the field, his taunting on the sidelines, and his nearly violent interview are certainly not sportsmanlike. And, for any knot head who thinks they were, i.e., Greta Van Susteren, Jason Keidel, and others like TombyBomby, should have his or head checked. The fact that Sherman reacted in a like fashion to those who did call him a thug and "n" goes to show that Sherman is just as racist as any of us out there. I'm not swayed by his comeuppance, his performance at Compton, nor his performance at Stanford. What I'm concerned about, as a fan of NFL football, is his performance on and off the field. There has been a genuine disservice to fans here because the league isn't investigating Sherman to determine if his behavior meshes with what the standard of conduct should be for NFL players.

In all of his arrogance, Sherman could care less what any of us has or had to say, so why, and I'm going to keep asking this, why throw the race card in there? And, further, for all of Sherman's arrogance, I can't wait until all of his endorsements come in. (He's now touting the potential for $5 million in endorsements.) Because his endorsements will be so closely followed, we won't have to wait in knowing who they are. It will make it that much easier for me to boycott all of those vendors.

As I said above, Sherman is nothing but a second class athlete in a big boy's game. When he starts acting like the bigger man, maybe he'll get the respect HE thinks he deserves.